For a moment I felt it creep towards me while I whisperedcome closerlike I was luring a mouseor a mistakeand in the dark I didn’t even know what it wasjust that the moon was full so the grass was bright grayand the shadows held something sadsomething silent and drowning.

I dropped everything to save it;must have been innocencemust have been cut into pieces or wishinglike me.The palm of my hand was unwashed;unwantedbut by this.

It never did come outI read it Shakespeare at night andleft it bread for breakfast. Just a feeling,it must have been just a soulhiding out there, trying to sleep.

I am deciding whether to keep waiting and coaxingor if it is time to recantand crawl with it into the shade from this tiresome bright.